CEBU CITY — A municipal mayor and several others are facing criminal charges over the death of a construction worker in an accident last June in Dalaguete town, Cebu province.
Jerson Enseñales, 21, died after falling from a height of 30 feet while installing metal trusses for a multipurpose building in Barangay Maluray.
The National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas (NBI-7) has filed multiple charges against Dalaguete Mayor Ronald Allan Cesante and nine others, including municipal engineers Expedizitas Lenares, Fernando Armecin and Ernie Quilaton Amarado, and Department of Public Works and Highways junior project engineer Juan Paulo Castillo.
Executives from Power Frame Construction and Development Corp., the firm handling the project, are also implicated in the accident.
They are Peter Paul Dy Jr., Arthur Kenneth Dy, Sally Marjorie Lugtu, Mary Joy de la Cruz and Henry Dy. They are charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, graft and grave misconduct.
An investigation by the NBI-7 revealed that Enseñales had not been provided with safety gears, such as a hard hat and harness, when he was tasked to install metal trusses. Investigators further discovered that local government job order employees, including Enseñales, were improperly assigned to work for the private contractor Power Frame, using municipal resources
This violation of regulations led to additional charges of graft and improper use of public funds against the mayor. NBI-7 Director Rennan Augustus Oliva noted that the supervising municipal engineers failed to ensure proper safety at the construction site.
The investigation also raised concerns over the misuse of public workers and government resources for a private project.
Although NBI-7 summoned the accused, only a representative from Mayor Cesante’s office appeared, citing a conflict in their schedules. The others failed to present their side.
The family of Enseñales had initially sought the help of NBI-7, suspecting foul play due to the lack of safety equipment provided to him.
Enseñales had been the family’s breadwinner, supporting his relatives in Barangay Mantalongon, Dalaguete. NBI-7’s findings revealed that the P4.9-million project was awarded to Power Frame.
However, job order employees from the municipal government were used to complete the work, along with the use of equipment owned by the municipality.
